Words to
the Wise
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
and do not crush the needy in court,
for the LORD will take up their case and
will plunder those who plunder them. Proverbs 22:22-23
If you are a sports fan and watch any amount of professional sports on T.V.,
you get to recognize all the usual clichés. To wit:
Its a game of emotion.
Good teams make their own breaks.
Never look past the next opponent.
Those are probably not even clichés anymore because they are too old
and sports broadcasters have stopped using them.
So that means you can say them again and not feel embarrassed.
But be careful, as they may become vogue again and turn back into clichés.
And do you remember Danny Galivan, the voice of the Montreal Canadiens?
He was an english professor besides being a sports broadcaster; but even
he had his favorite clichés, albeit linguistically a bit more stylish.
A hard slap shot was not just a hard slap shot, it was "a cannonading drive",
and who can forget Serge Savard's "patented Savardian spinarama"? But they
are still clichés.
The whole notion of the word cliché itself is interesting. When did
we start thinking that folk wisdom was a cliché?
And why does language have to be governed by fashion etiquette where yesterday's
insight becomes today's canard?
Aren't some things just true?
And why should we be embarrassed to give voice to them without being worried
about being labeled as "so last year"?
And I realize that I am sounding like Andy Rooney.
Not that sounding like him would be such a bad thing.
So that brings me to the Proverbs.
I hope you read them from time to time.
They make good reading, if only to remind us of all the things we learned
over the years, or we hope we have learned.
Part of the book of Proverbs is attributed to Solomon and has a unique literary
style.
Other parts of Proverbs are just labeled, "Wisdom of the Wise".
They are collected tried and true sayings that have survived the test of
time and also come to us in scripture.
This is an interesting notion, and helps us with the question, "how does
God speak to us?"
Some of God's instructions to us come almost directly from God's lips to
our ears via the prophets and of course Jesus Himself.
And some of God's instructions come from the collective wisdom of the ages.
Proverbs fits into this category.
I am not sure how you think about the truth of God.
For me, whatever is true, ultimately, is from God.
Determining the truth of a thing sometimes takes a few centuries, and we
need to exercise a bit of humility in pronouncing a thing as true.
And if something clearly is from God, then in my book, it is true.
In the same way, I want to know for sure that it is from God before I canonize
it as Truth. History is full of examples of people misapplying this or that
bit of scripture to their own eventual embarrassment when it turned out they
had misread the Word. Humility here is also a good caution, but not to the
point we lack boldness with what is obviously from God.
Proverbs is the distilled wisdom of the ages and has stood the test of time.
I think its obvious in most cases how to read Proverbs.
It is wisdom, not guarantee.
Because proverbs says something is generally true, does not mean it will
always happen in every case.
Proverbs says its better to gain wealth slowly, bit by bit, than looking
for the big score.
We know that is generally true and is a good lifestyle to follow.
It does not mean that no one will ever become wealthy quickly. The high tech
business has proven that not to be true.
But unless you are Bill Gates or the creator of Google, it is still a good
pattern to follow.
My financial advisor keeps telling me that--"Harold, you need to be a more
cautious investor."
Valerie agrees, though neither quotes Proverbs to me.
So we come to the lectionary passage today which is Proverbs 22:22-23:
Don’t take advantage of poor people just
because they are poor.
Don’t beat down those who are in need by taking them to court.
The LORD will stand up for them in court.
He will take back the stolen goods from those who have robbed them.
I think about those of you or your family who have had experience with collecting
money on a leaky condo.
It seems in those cases that God did not stand up for them in court, so what's
the story here?
This is not to be read as a promise that God will send someone into court
to vindicate the truth the way we see on television, though I do not discount
that such a thing could happen. It is just not a guarantee.
What is being said is wisdom for us to live by:
If you want to make an enemy of God, then live a lifestyle that exploits
those weaker or more vulnerable than yourself.
This can mean not paying your bills to those you owe.
When my daughter Heather was about 13 she had a paper route, and either I
or her mother would accompany her on her deliveries at six A.M. I would also
go with her when she would collect at the end of the month.
What used to amaze and infuriate me were those people who thought that cheating
a thirteen year old out of her paper money was fair game. I should have left
a leaflet explaining this passage to them. It would just have said, "God'll
get ya for that!" I hoped my presence would avert that kind of behavior but
it didn't always.
This passage means routinely taking advantage or abusing anyone whose situation
makes them vulnerable.
I used to be amazed when Jen was still living at home and used to tell us
of the way some folks treated her when she worked as a check out cashier
at one of large supermarkets in Langford.
Being a young girl and a cashier really can target you for abuse.
I hope you stand up for the cashier if you see someone being really ignorant
to them. They are in a vulnerable position, and sure they make mistakes,
but they should be treated with kindness and respect.
Be the eyes and mouth of God in your supermarket and elsewhere.
The same goes for your server at the restaurant. They depend on your tips
and your goodwill. Be generous.
Many who work in the service industry are a step or two beyond being the
working poor. And they may not be beyond it.
Treat them with kindness at the very least.
Remember who is watching.
And as a church, this is a very important part of our ministry: being the
advocate of the weak and vulnerable.
If you have thoughts on how we can do that, then I think I and your session
welcome the input.
This is our heart as well.
I suppose the flip side to the admonition is the encouraging word:
Here is one of the ways to make a friend of God: be kind to the weak and
vulnerable in material ways by being a good tipper and making sure you pay
the little guy on time. Watch out for the clerk and the cabbie and be kind.
In the gospels there are two occasions when someone is commended by God for
their kindness to the poor. Both were Gentiles who were noted for their generosity
and their alms and in both cases were rewarded by God.
And especially this is true of the children. Always be kind to the little
ones.
Pay a moment or two of attention to the little children. Say something kind
and encouraging to them when they come down from Sunday Scholl. It
really matters.
Their heavenly father knows and each one has an angel.
You always want to be on the good side of angels!
Preached September 6, 2009
Dr. Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian Church
Victoria, British Columbia
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